While wandering the streets of Manhattan recently it occurred to me that historic events have occurred on almost every street in that megalopolis. In the 1980s, I lived just off Washington Square Park on Bleecker Street. There in the shadow of New York University (NYU) is a broad open space that hosts chess players, musicians, […]
Opinion
Three things no pilot wants to hear
By JEB BURNSIDE. Pilots have many popular sayings we share among ourselves and with others. They result from a desire to impress non-pilots with our “daredevil” spirit and how we “conquer” the mystique of flying, sprinkled with a certain fatalism. I’m thinking of things like, “The only time you can have too much fuel is […]
Invasion of the Titan
The potent Titan X-340 is a shade under $26,000 at present. One advantage over most others is that it is Made in the USA and you deal with a U.S.-based company. Power on!
Video: Greg Koontz’s crazy flying act in a Titan Legend
No, he’s not going to fly into the hangar… you hope, but Greg Koontz’s airshow act keeps you wondering. Probably you’ve seen an act like this before. A crazy-acting farmer or a supposed drunk hops into a Piper Cub or similar aircraft after the regular pilot leaves it unattended for a few minutes. The crazy […]
Currency requirements times two
For general aviation pilots there is no more compelling challenge than that presented by currency. We’re talking about currency in both its common forms — cash and recent flight time. At least that’s the impression one could get from reading the email and notes readers send my way. These topics are inextricably linked for those […]
I’m a pilot, not an airman
The FAA should have titled the Practical Test Standards (PTS) replacement Pilot Certification Standards, not Airman Certification Standards (ACS). Regardless what you think of the new standards for awarding (or earning) a pilot — see there it is — certificate, the title is wrong. Never have I been asked, “Are you an airman?” And I’d hazard a […]
Is there a gentle way to determine the condition of this engine?
Q: Last year our club bought a PA-25 tow plane. It has a Lycoming O-540 G1A5 260-hp engine. We bought it with 100 hours after overhaul and flew it 95 hours, so total 195 hours after overhaul. Now the annual inspection revealed a massive contamination of the oil filter with shiny non-magnetic particles. Also some soft sealant particles (rubber or silicone) are […]
Taking a break from the regular routine
Typically, I write this column from an office in my home. My writing space used to be a single-car garage. But since single-car garages are generally too narrow and shallow to actually park a car in them, I converted mine into two rooms. The larger of the two is my office. The other is a […]
What is the proper procedure to break in my engine?
Q: What is the proper procedure to break in an IO-540-AB1A5 that I own on a 1998 C182S? We pulled and replaced the compression and oil control rings on cylinders 2 and 4. The rest of the cylinders were untouched. Where can I find Lycoming recommendations for a replacement of rings like we are about […]